


ASCEND FROM DARKNESS

by TheInfamousDoctorF



Category: Call of Duty Nazi Zombies, Minecraft - Fandom
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Slurs, bad German accents, gratuitous pig punching, herobrine!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 17:20:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3537701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInfamousDoctorF/pseuds/TheInfamousDoctorF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richtofen dies and respawns in an empty Minecraft map and has to relearn how to survive. [The others follow him later.] The castle he builds existed in one of my maps long before the story was written and my inspiration was partially fueled by my penchant for playing Minecraft alone for long stretches. What-if roleplaying/brainstorming discussions also provided a few scenes and conversations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Richtofen didn’t know how many times he had died. He’d given up counting a long time ago. It was always the same; the undead would pull him down with their filthy fingers, tearing at his flesh. His vision would blur with blackness and blood, and then he’d find himself whole again, pistol in hand, falling from a short height with a thud into that same hell again.   
He was afraid to even mention to his Allies, they already thought he was quite mad. They seemed totally unaware of the continuous dance of life and death they were endlessly spinning through. ‘Better not to upset them’ he mused; as his blood stained the rotting floorboards underneath him.   
The last sight before everything went dark was that idiot Dempsey running towards him with a gun in one hand and an adrenaline shot in the other. And just as the soldier reached the fallen Nazi he sometimes called a friend; he vanished from sight. Tank screamed in frustration as the horde bore down faster on his fleeing form. 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Richtofen opened his eyes. For a moment he couldn’t see anything. It was just too bright. He blinked in the brightest sunlight he’d ever encountered and looked around.   
The world spread out like a blanket in every direction, there were trees, green grass, achingly blue water, creamy sands, and far away in the distance he could see a light dusting of snow on high gray mountains.   
It was all too beautiful, but as he looked closer he could see that the landscape was also unnatural. Everything was formed of blocks with tiny patterns on every side. He lifted a hand to his mouth and reeled at the look of it. He too had been reduced to a blocky, simple form. His gloved hands curled in a fist of thick angular fingers.   
In a panic he ran awkwardly to the edge of the water and stared in wonderment at the strange reflection that looked back. His beloved hat now seemed like a baking pan that fitted perfectly on the smaller block that formed his head. The doctor’s blood-stained uniform had also been simplified, only the boldest details were outlined in tiny squares of color.   
He stuck his hands in the sparkling water with a soft splash and watched in fascination as bloody red pixels floated away from his black gloves and disappeared into the blue. Feeling bolder he waded into the shallow water and shed even more of the tiny red squares from his clothing, leaving his splattered jacket as uniformly tan as the day it had been issued.   
Edward smiled with satisfaction. Compared to the places he was used to, this was paradise. Idly he wandered into a stand of trees. The trunks were all composed of chunks, blocks of wood and transparent blocks plastered with leafy green shapes. A good course of action might be to build a fire. The edge of the desert wasn’t far, and nights here might be cold.   
The man patted himself to see if any of his tools were still available. Then he swore quietly. Not even a knife. He had nothing but a curled bit of paper with a blotch of green in the center and an arrow marker in the center of that.   
He punched the trunk of a tree in aggravation. To his surprise the weak punch made a radiating crack in the center of the block he hit. He hit it again and then again and the block seemed to pop away, shrinking as it flew.   
Mystified, he picked up the tiny cube. It wasn’t much of anything. He shook it in his fist. He couldn’t burn that, it wouldn’t last a moment. The Nazi threw the chunk at the ground in frustration. As it hit the earth it swelled back to its original size and seemed to affix itself to the ground in alignment with the dirt blocks below.   
He punched the block up again and got the sense that he could change it into something else. Some concentration resulted in a handful of planks and sticks. As he laid the top plank on his new crafting table he could feel the possibilities opening up before him.   
And for the first time, in a long, long while, Dr. Richtofen smiled with genuine happiness. 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Richtofen was just putting a door on the tiny house he’d made as the sun set. There was only enough room for the table, a stone furnace, and a small trunk full of rocks, dirt and wood.   
A groaning noise made his ears perk up. Now that was all too familiar. He brandished a wooden sword and scanned the trees for any movement.  
A green-faced and moaning figure shuffled out of the trees. Its clothing looked tattered and its eyes were black pits. It was unmistakably a zombie. Now this was something Richtofen knew better then his own skin, with a graceful sidestep of grasping paws he sliced the creature with the broad blade again and again until it disappeared with a *poof*. Picking up the scrap of flesh that was left behind, the doctor felt a weird twinge of nostalgia. Killing a zombie made him think of that meat-head Dempsey.   
As much as he was loath to admit it, he rather missed his favorite test subject. It was lonely in the wilderness after having the continuous companionship of his dubious Allies for so long.   
A sudden pang drove him violently out of his reverie. He hissed in pain as an arrow thudded into the meat of his arm. Turning to face his attacker he beheld a skeleton brandishing a bow and arrow. With a ‘twang’ it loosed another bolt and he had to move quickly to avoid it.   
He ran around the corner of his house and the skeleton shuffled slowly after him, readying another arrow. If he could just get the bow away from the monster, it might help with the zombie problem. ‘Because where you found one zombie,’ he thought ruefully, ‘there would always be more lurking about.’   
The doctor broke into a run and rounded the corner to find the skeleton with it’s back turned for a crucial moment. He brandished the sword like a bat with his good arm and beat the monster until it disappeared as the zombie had earlier. Triumphantly he scooped up the bow and arrows along with a couple of loose bones that had fallen. It wasn’t exactly a crossbow, but when red eyes appeared with a hiss over a low hill, he buried three arrows between them with ease. Gleefully he scooped up the coils of string the spider dropped and looked eagerly about for something else to shoot.   
In his excitement, Dr. Richtofen didn’t hear the hissing until it was too late. He turned to look into the empty eyes of a tall green monster that blended easily into the bushes. It swelled and flashed as if it was enraged, and the next thing the doctor knew he was flying through the air from the force of a small explosion. As he was gathering his wits, he noticed the sun rising, and a strange burning smell filled his nostrils. Down the hill, near the crater the creeping monstrosity had left; a pair of zombies had burst into flames. After a moment of staggering, they sunk to the ground and vanished.   
He nodded in satisfaction, ‘no zombies allowed out during the day.’  
As he removed the arrow from his arm, Richtofen noticed that though he hadn’t been hurt that badly by the explosion or the arrow, he was severely hungry.  
The first likely looking creature that wandered into view was a dopey looking sheep. Brandishing his new bow he put two arrows into it and then rushed up to claim his prize.   
To his disappointment, the sheep hadn’t dropped anything edible. It was just a pair of wooly white cubes. He pocketed them morosely. But shuffling around in his bag gave him an idea. Some sticks and string on the crafting table yielded a fishing rod. And the doctor found himself sitting on the sandy shore watching the bobber with an intensity he normally reserved for surgery. A tug on the line and a fish was jerked violently back into his lap from the safety of the water. He tried repeating the same actions and was rewarded with two more fish. Satisfied, he began the walk back to his little wooden house to cook them in the furnace.   
Once there, he realized that the house was occupied already, and threw open the door to find a pig with a dumb expression had somehow invaded his space. With a cry of ‘schweinhund’ he punched at the grunting pig until it vanished. To his delight the porcine visitor left behind a sizeable chop of meat and it was added to the queue of things to be cooked in the furnace.   
Richtofen warmed his hands on the squared off flames with a sigh of contentment. After endlessly scrounging for canned goods, MRE’s, and even the flesh of zombies for sustenance; he could certainly get used to this. 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Days passed endlessly into nights over and over again. The voices in his head grew quieter and quieter. It seemed that the tranquil routine was driving him slowly back to sanity. The quick deaths of the things he killed for food or in defense; were not messy enough to trigger his inherent bloodlust. The monsters were merely an annoyance. And his brain; too long over-stimulated from the constant heat of battle; was reveling in newfound creativity.  
It seemed that the things that could be combined on the crafting table were endless. And slowly but surely, the little house gained a garden and larger walls. The wood was knocked away and replaced with stone. The doctor delved tirelessly into the ground, bringing up first only stones and dirt and then later coal, lapis and iron. The discovery of gold made his greedy little heart sing and he crafted it into a big shimmering block that was placed proudly at the foot of his new bed.   
He ventured farther and farther from his encampment every day, coming back with armloads of sugar cane, pumpkins, wheat seeds, clay, saplings, and chicken-duck eggs.   
The piece of paper he had been allowed revealed itself to be a map, and it filled itself in as he explored. He went out to the farthest edges of the world to bring back cacti, snow, pine trees, and even the occasional bucket of lava. And always the cursor on the page moved as he did, one small arrow; all alone in the wilderness. Eventually he tacked it on the wall beside his bed, and found himself gazing at it in idle moments.   
He’d never admit it, but he was waiting for something. 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

It was raining when Richtofen woke up. He hopped out of bed invigorated and looked out the glass block windows at the storm. Far below the stone tower he called his room; chicken-ducks splashed in a pond while the wheat he had planted swayed slightly in the breeze.   
Down on the first floor he gathered some tools from a trunk and readied himself to once again head down into his mine. Work in this place wasn’t hard, but it was time-consuming. He’d long since lost track of how many days it had been since he arrived. He’d begun to truly enjoy his new body, as it was tireless and seemed only to hunger when injured. All the aches and pains acquired from war and zombie-fighting melted to nothing. Armor forged from iron ore had made him tougher and his newfound skill with a bow reduced everything but the creepers to minor annoyances.   
The discovery of a glowing red stone deep underground had put him in mind of the 115, and to his delight he’d begun to turn it into a power source for some simple devices. Realizing he could gather lava in a bucket and move it elsewhere also opened up new avenues for creativity.   
Out of habit he swiped a hand across his flattened hair and put replaced his stasi hat. With a chuckle he swung a pickaxe over his shoulder and walked out the front door. He never noticed the second blip that had appeared on his map. 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Dempsey had gone from feeling like a badass to feeling sorry for himself. When he’d failed to reach the downed Nazi before he was teleported away; Tank somehow knew the sarcastic German would be back. He just had to kill more zombies on his own to regain his fellow slayer.   
But it seemed like the magic number had climbed out of reach. No matter how many he killed, Richtofen still did not reappear.   
The sneaky bastard was a perfectly competent soldier and Dempsey knew he needn’t worry about him, but his continued absence was unsettling at best. And despite the marines most valiant efforts; he too was finally overwhelmed. His thoughts were bitter as he lay in pain on the broken ground. With no one to revive him, it was just a matter of time. The zombies seemed to watch him from afar, knowing in some inexplicable way that his demise would also signal the end of their usefulness.   
“Fuck you zom-bitches” Dempsey snarled through clenched teeth, and then all went black. 

* * * * * * * * * * *


	2. Chapter 2

* * * * * * * * * * * 

When Dempsey opened his eyes he was almost surprised to find there was no longer a gun in his hand. The starting pistol had become such a part of him, he felt naked without it. And the weird landscape only added to his unease.   
He regarded his now blocky hands with a morbid curiosity. It was just one more strange thing in a long line of strange situations the marine had been put in, and at least he thought, it wasn’t painful for a change.   
Most of the land in view was desert, apart from a nearby pool of water. Wishing feverently for a canteen the thirsty soldier drank greedily from the clear blue waters. He took stock of his options and found he’d been stripped of all his gear apart from a piece of paper with an arrow in the center. He stuffed it back in his pocket and promptly forgot about it.   
Tank walked along aimlessly, his eyes scanning the horizon for movement or artificial structures. It was nice to not be beset by zombies, but this lonely, still world was oppressive in its emptiness.   
A grunt caught his attention and he spotted what looked like a pig made of cubes. Food was next on his addenda, even if he had to kill the animal with his bare hands. Dempsey charged the unsuspecting swine and beat it with his fists. To his surprise this made the animal disappear, and in its place; only two hunks of pork remained. He wolfed it down raw for lack of fire and felt some of his strength returning.   
As the sun was touching the horizon, Dempsey sat down to rest a moment. Before long a distant noise sent him flying for cover. Agitated, he peeked over a very low hill of sand. A group of green faced figures milled aimlessly about, their arms outstretched as they grumbled and groaned.   
Without a gun, or even a knife, Tank didn’t feel like taking on any more freakbags. As quietly as possible he snuck down a hillside and up the steep end of a ravine, keeping to the shadows to avoid being noticed.   
To his pleasant surprise, the opposite side of the hill was awash in flat green grass and he could see trees in the distance. He made a break for the tree line and hid in a natural depression, his heart pounding fit to burst.   
He scrabbled at the dirt trying to make the hole a little deeper and found to his surprise that it gave easily. The dirt blocks popped away and shrank before they fell to the ground. Mystified, he gathered them up and stuffed them in his pockets.   
Peering out of his hidey hole he saw something tall and black striding through the trees. He pressed himself as far back into the shadows as he could manage and held his breath so as not to make a single sound until the terrifying figure had passed by.   
Perhaps being on the ground wasn’t a good idea after all. He looked left and right and took a running leap onto the leafy cubes of a low tree. From there he managed to climb into the bowers of a much larger tree and made himself a hollow by removing the leaves at the center. Block by block he made his way to the very top of the tree and looked out over the moonlit landscape.   
Behind him the desert stretched away, and before him the tree-line advanced up a hill and led out onto a plateau. Squinting, he thought he could make out a glimmer of light in the woods. He made a mental note of its position before shimmying back down into the cover of the leaves.   
Light probably meant other people, possible help. ‘Even an abandoned shack with some tools would be great’ he mused. Feeling more then a tad sorry for himself; Dempsey huddled down amongst the leaves and patiently waited for dawn. 

 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Morning found Richtofen yawning as he rolled out of bed. He’d fortified his little castle to the point that he would be able to sleep rather then spend the night fighting monsters. It was all a matter of light and distance. He’d blocked off his compound with high cobblestone walls that hid wide hallways within, studded with torches. This kept the creepers from getting close enough to him on the other side to explode. It was also too tall for the other monsters to climb. The space within was also littered with lights. The doctor had been delighted to find a hillside covered with carved pumpkins, and he’d turned them into Jack-o’-lanterns that grinned and glowed from every corner of the courtyard.   
The space where his first dirt house had stood was now a greenhouse for the more delicate crops. But the jewel of his castle was a massive glass and stone tower. It had running water, and carved stairs, trunks for all his tools and spoils, doors that opened as one approached and closed behind them, a kitchen with furnaces and black stone counters, and the floors were partly made of colorful wool blocks that he’d dyed himself. The stone roof had been covered with a second layer of dirt and he’d planted trees on it and then bone-mealed them to make them grow tall and strong.  
Richtofen had also made two beds and laid them together with the intent of having some room to sprawl out, but his new body refused to occupy more then one half of the bed.  
He ran appreciative fingers along the cool surfaces of the two gold blocks at the foot of his beds. It was indulgent to keep it this way since he’d figured out that he could marry it with the redstone to create a powered mine cart. But it was also rare and he relished the feeling of wealth it gave him.   
Edward sighed, ‘for whatever that was worth’. Money was a meaningless, abstract concept in this silent and lonely world. He pulled one diamond and a trio of stone pickaxes from the trunk by the bed and filled his pockets with torches. Passing out the door he grabbed a diamond shirt, his hat, a few extra cobbles and two buckets of water before heading down into the mine. 

* * * * * * * * * * *

It was almost dark again when Dempsey caught sight of the castle in the distance. Having to swim across a wide shallow channel had left him feeling exposed and worn out. At the first opportunity he’d punched a cow to death, stuffing the leather in his pockets and wolfing the beef down raw. It had helped, but he still felt empty. Any other time, he would have begun to make a shelter and fire, but the promise of civilization spurred him on.   
Reaching the cobblestone facade he circled around, looking for an entrance. It was well hidden, and only a small button protruding from the wall gave it away. He mashed it with a fist and was rewarded as the wall slid back and then closed behind him.   
He gazed around in amazement at the tidy courtyard and massive tower. The floor was a natural depression that someone had filled in with soft colored blocks, and everywhere he looked; pumpkins grinned back.   
Tank stumbled into the tower and looked at all the trunks laid against the walls. He rummaged through their contents, but had no luck finding any food. On the second floor he found a wide basin with a lever at the corner. Moving it caused a piston to slide back and admit a stream of blue water into what he now recognized as a bathtub. Dempsey gratefully stood under the stream gulping the cold clear water. And he smiled as the bloody pixels washed off his clothing and face only to disappear at the edge of the water flow.   
As he climbed out of the tub, he felt himself overcome by sleepiness. The wooly blocks on the floor beside the tub felt soft and inviting on his bare hands; and he collapsed onto it, snoring softly. 

* * * * * * * * * * *

When Richtofen returned from mining, he had a little spring in his step. He’d found a nice cache of diamonds and two lava flows which had provided him with some more obsidian.   
At the front door he paused, looking around in shock. A quiet hiss broke the usual silence. It sounded like he’d left the tap running. Paranoid at the seeming intrusion he switched his pickaxe for a sword and crept up the stairs with trepidation.   
He called out, his voice cracking from long disuse; “who’s there? Show yourself schweinhund!”   
A head popped up behind the tub and peered at him, “Richtofen? Is that you?”  
Edward dropped the sword on the floor in shock, “Dempshey? Dempshey!” He raced to the side of the Marine, already fumbling for an adrenaline shot he no longer possessed. “Verdammit!”   
“Hey Doc, got any food in this place? I’m starving man.”   
“Ye-yes! Hang on Dempshey.” The doctor raced up to the next floor and pulled something he’d been saving for an emergency. Coming back down, he plopped a huge iced cake on the edge of the tub.   
Not feeling picky, Tank grabbed a slice and then another, each bite made him feel better by increments. When there was only one left he stopped and sat back on the floor. “Thanks doc, I was feeling like a goner for a while there. Shit, I haven’t had cake in… I don’t even know.”   
Richtofen’s voice was soft and choked with emotion. “I’m glad to see you Dempshey. I’ve been alone out here for so long. It didn’t really hit me until I saw your faze. Are zhe others here too?”  
“No, just me. After you disappeared I held out as long as I could, but eventually they pulled me down, and I guess I blacked out. I woke up out in the desert west of here. Wait, how long have you been here Doc?”  
Richtofen sagged at the knees; the knowledge that for Tank he’d only been gone an hour or so was staggering. “I’ve been here at least four months Dempshey.”   
“Four months?!” Tank gapped like a goldfish.   
Edward gestured at the walls around them, “I built all of this myself. It was bare ground and grass when I arrived.”  
Tank looked around in wonder, “really? Holy shit. How?!”  
Richtofen looked around, really seeing his surroundings with new eyes. “Just vone block at a time Dempshey.” He stuck out a hand and helped Tank to his feet. Edward cast a glance out the window. “It’s getting dark, und I’ve had a long day. I’m going to go to bed. I can make a place for you if you vant to continue your nap.”  
Dempsey raised an eyebrow, “yeah, why not? Can’t remember the last time I slept in an actual bed either.”  
Richtofen led the soldier up the stairs and through the kitchen, and then up another flight to the bedroom. Tank looked out the wide glass window at the ground far below. In the distance a square white moon was rising on a bed of pinpoint stars.  
“Geeze, is that gold?”   
“Ja. I mined them myself,” Edward replied, a hint of pride creeping into his voice.   
“Two beds? Were you expecting someone doc?”  
Edward colored slightly, “I was just hoping to stretch out, but zhis body will only allow me to sleep flat on mein back.” He swatted aggressively at one half of the bed until it shrank and popped into his hands. The Nazi tossed the bed at Dempsey and it bounced up into his grasp. “Just throw it down anywhere. Zho I’d suggest vhe sleep in zhe same room just in case the monsters get in somehow.”  
Dempsey regarded the tiny bed and then tossed it back down two blocks away from where it had been. Still close, but not touching the doctor’s bed. “For safety,” he mumbled before crawling onto the invitingly soft surface.   
Edward stretched leisurely and shed his jacket. He clambered into his own bed and within moments, both were asleep.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Tank opened his eyes, half expecting to see blood-splattered walls; the whole weird encounter having been some kind of fever dream in the middle of a larger nightmare. Sunlight shone warm on his face and he sat up to see a lovely day outside the windows. Irregular blocky clouds floated serenely across a pale blue sky.   
He looked over and saw Richtofen’s bed was empty. “Doc?”  
A voice rang out hollowly from the room above, “I’m up here Dempshey.”   
Tank staggered blearily into the kitchen and beheld a surreal sight. Richtofen took a hunk of coal in one hand and a bit of raw meat in the other and shoved them into the furnace roughly. “Guten Morgen Dempshey.” The doctor proffered a bit of fruit, “vould you like ein apple while zhe meat cooks?” Tank blinked, and took the apple. It was strange looking, but a tentative bite revealed a wonderful flavor. He moaned softly and Richtofen smiled.   
Dempsey was no stranger to hardship; they’d all spent uncounted years just struggling not only to survive the zombies, but simply to not starve. The taste of something so fresh was heavenly.   
“Here, have some of zhis.” He passed a small bucket to Tank and he took a suspicious sip of the contents. Soon the Marine’s smile was just as wide as Edward’s. “Fresh mother-fracking milk. God-damn.”   
“You’re so crude Dempshey,” the older man said with a grin. He polished a second apple on his coat and nibbled on it delicately. “Vould you like a pork chop?”   
“Fuck yes.”  
Dempsey wolfed down the steaming meat with obvious relish. He looked up and Richtofen was still smiling softly at him. “What’s with you Doc? Why ya staring at me?”  
“Vhat? Oh. I don’t know. You remind me of myself when I first arrived here. Even roughing it here is a pleasure compared with running for our lives where we have been these past years. The smallest thing feels like a luxury. Having fresh food, being clean, sleeping in a real bed...” The German stepped out from behind the kitchen island and Dempsey saw that his blocky feet were bare of his usual boots. Richtofen closed his eyes as he scuffed his toes in the wooly carpet; just enjoying the softness of it.   
Seeing Edward so innocently happy made Tank laugh nervously. He gave an awkward cough. “Wow. What happened to you Doc? You seem so much… saner.”   
“Vork happened. Honest sweat and tears. It made zhe voices grow quieter and quieter until one day they were entirely gone.” He tapped his temple, “it’s just me up here now. Zhe migraines have gone away too. It’s hard to be reasonable when you’re stressed and in constant pain.” He gestured expansively. “Zhe land has healed mich.”  
Tank raised an eyebrow, “do you really expect me to believe you’ve given up that power trip you’ve been on since the day we met?”  
“Zhis vorld has been given to me to tame, what more could I ask for Dempshey?” He gave the soldier a coy look. “Though I guess I could be persuaded to share it vith you…”   
Tank chuckled. “Once again, you know way more about what’s going on then I do. I think I’m okay with following orders. Especially since you seem a lot more stable then you used to be.”  
“Wunderbar! Two against zhe world is always better then one, Dempshey.” He gave the Marine a friendly slap on the shoulder.   
“Sooo… what’s to do around here any way?” Tank grinned. “You have any windows you need boarded up?”  
“No. Most of zhe hard work is done. Zhis castle is easy to defend. Just keep the lights on; the monsters won’t appear near them. And for now I think you should stay within the walls. One shouldn’t go out into the world without some decent armor, and for that ve’ll need more diamonds.”  
“Diamonds?”   
“Ja. Zhe blue shirt I had on yesterday vas made of diamond. You have to dig very deep to find them, and there are pockets of lava at that level. It can be dangerous.”   
“So you want me to help you dig?”   
“Ja, Dempshey. It’s easy but time-consuming.” Richtofen crouched down and pulled on his boots before opening a chest and rummaging around in it. “For now though, feel free to look around. The garden could use a harvest and re-plant, there’s bone meal in the chest by zhe door if any of zhe plants look peaky; and if you break a few leaf blocks on the trees, apples and saplings vil fall out. Also if you wave shears at the sheep, wool will fall off. Here; you’ll need this.” The German tossed Dempsey several small objects in quick succession. Seeds, a stone hoe and pickaxe, a bow, a bundle of torches and arrows and a pair of metal scissors. He moved to a different trunk and gathered an armload of food. Tank just stared as a cooked fish, a loaf of bread and a bowl of soup was pushed towards him.  
“Zhere. Now you have some lunch for later. Just come downstairs vhen you’re ready to help dig.” The Nazi gave him a friendly wave as he walked down the steps. “See you later Dempshey.”  
Tank felt like he was walking around in a daze. This was all too weird. He walked slowly down to the bottom of the tower and out into the sun. He put the hoe over his shoulder like a rifle and headed for the greenhouse.   
On his way he tried waving at a sheep with the scissors and it stared at him with dopey eyes as blocks of wool fell away, exposing the pink skin underneath.   
The Marine couldn’t help but admit that playing with the plants felt therapeutic. He’d pick a row of pumpkins, planting seeds behind him, and by the time he reached the end of the row, the first planted seed was already sprouting. The soil was so rich he didn’t even need to use the bone-meal to fertilize them. He filled his pockets with vegetables and then set to work slicing the tops off the grove of sugarcane Richtofen had planted around a small pond. Poking at trees provided a few red apples and as he was walking back to stow the harvest, he found a few chicken-duck eggs in the long grass.   
Relieved of his burden, he made his way down the low hill and ducked into an opening in the pile of stones. The sight that greeted him stopped him dead in his tracks.   
The floor of the massive room had been carpeted in golden-yellow wool blocks, and the walls were covered with paintings large and small. There was a creeper and an angel, a bowl of flames, a skeleton, and a woman posing with a pig, some people fighting, a skull, a sunset, and something that looked like a taco salad.   
Tank whistled appreciatively.   
“Dempshey? Is that you?”  
“Wow Doc, I had no idea you were such an artist.”   
The German waved a hand dismissively. “It wasn’t enough to get me a career, zhat’s vhy I became a plastic surgeon instead. Zhe canvas of the flesh…” The Doctor panted lightly at the thought.  
“Okay, Doc, don’t get excited. You asked me to help you dig, so lets do that.”   
At about the fifth staircase down, Tank was starting to wonder how the German had managed to not get hopelessly lost in the twisty maze of caverns. Richtofen spotted his confused look and gestured as he walked.   
“If you get lost, just follow zhe torches. I put zhem on the right side of the tunnel as I go down. And at each junction I lay a jack-o’-lantern with the face looking towards the way out.”  
Dempsey nodded automatically; he had no intention of letting the doctor out of his sight.   
Finally Richtofen stopped and pulled out a pickaxe. “Just do vat I do and stay in the light. Keep zhat bow handy in case the monsters try to sneak up on us.”  
It didn’t take long for the tick tick tick of tools on stone to soothe Dempsey into a semi-trance. The cave was quiet apart from the cheep of bats somewhere above.   
“Hey Richtofen! I found something black and gray.”  
“Zhat would be coal Dempshey, make sure and dig it all out.”  
Suddenly the doctor gasped in alarm and Tank almost dropped his tool in his haste to see what was wrong. As he rounded the corner a blast of heat hit his face, and he was just in time to see the doctor skip nimbly back and drop a wall of cobbles to stop the flow of lava out of a hole in the wall.   
The German removed his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. “Zhat was close.”  
“Fucking hell! Is that lava?!?”  
“Oh, ja. This happens sometimes. You just have to move over and dig again until you find the edge of the pool so you can go around it. The best metals and gems are found around lava.”   
Dempsey grinned slightly. “And you’ve been doing this alone for months? You’re a lot braver then I gave you credit for Richtofen.”  
Edward blushed slightly. He gestured at a narrow ditch in the floor that was filled with water. “I’ve set mein clothes on fire with this stuff more zhen once Dempshey. You just jump in the water and it goes out. It’s not as hot as regular lava.”  
Suddenly Dempsey put his hand over Richtofen’s mouth, hushing him. He looked around suspiciously. “I heard something.”   
“Hissssss.”  
“Fich! It’s too dark in here; it’s a schlingpflanze, run!” The German pulled out a sparkling blue sword and sprinted down the hall with Dempsey in tow. The plant monster trundled along behind them, already starting to flash. Tank turned and fired an arrow into the green monstrosity just as it swelled and exploded.   
Both men were knocked to the floor by the force of the explosion.   
“Ow dammit.” The Marine was first to rise, dusting his clothes. He offered a blocky hand to the doctor and helped him up.   
“Zhat hurt.” Edward patted his pockets and placed several torches on the surrounding walls. “Here.” He passed something small to Tank and stuck a similar object in his mouth.   
“Fuck me, is this a cookie?”  
Edward talked around his mouthful; “just eat it. You’ll feel better.”   
As Tank chewed he noticed something at the bottom of the crater the explosion had made. “There are some green rocks down there.”  
“Ohh, maybe the blast exposed some emeralds!” He clambered down into the hole. “Zhat’s strange. This is the first time I’ve seen cobbles besides the ones I’ve laid myself, and these have lichen growing on them.” Tank stepped down beside him, “well, let’s see what’s underneath.” He produced a pickaxe, and with a few chips the block fell down into a dark hole beneath.   
Opening the hole caused an immediate wet hissing and gnashing sound to come from the darkness below. Angry red eyes started up at them. A faint light from the center of the room below outlined three massive spiders that jumped and wiggled far beneath the opening.   
Dempsey drew out his bow once more and fired into the mob. Taking out first one, then all three of the beasts.  
“Wait Dempshey, don’t waste your arrows. They’re coming from that little cage in the center of the room. If we light it up maybe they’ll stop spawning.”  
With deliberate care the two men chipped away the ceiling of the room below, staying just out of reach of the leaping spiders. As the square room was revealed they could see a chest on the back wall beside a bright red block and some kind of plaque lying on the floor.   
When they had a good view of the space, Dempsey cleared out all the spiders using his bow. As the last one fell Richtofen leaped down and dashed towards the cage. He quickly studded the surface of the cage with torches and back-pedaled in case the plan didn’t work. A tense moment passed and then another. No more spiders appeared. Tank let out a relieved sigh and jumped down next to Edward. He saw the red out of the corner of his eye and turned to fire without hesitation. The arrow skipped over the surface of the red stone and struck a spark on its surface. The sudden fire was blinding in the half-light.   
“Verdammit Dempshey! You’ll set the trunk on fire!” The German swatted furiously at the flames until the stone was extinguished. He lifted the lid of the chest with some trepidation.   
“So what have we got doc?”  
“Let’s see, zhere’s a saddle, ooh! Some gold ingots, Seeds, gunpowder, and some ground cocoa beans.” As the doctor filled his pockets with the contents of the trunk, Dempsey retrieved the wooden plank from the floor.   
He held it next to a torch and squinted at the faint letters.   
“Vhat does it say?”   
He cleared his throat and read aloud. 

“In a square ring gold round,  
a cobble in a dungeon found.  
Astride the top we make a cross,  
of red-stone torch for Notch’s loss.   
Crown the center, stone from Hell  
Say his name and light it well.   
For I am Herobrine.” 

“Who is Hero-brine?”  
“ I sink it’s pronounced Heir-o-brinne Dempshey.”   
“Whatever Doc, I wonder what it means?”  
“Who knows Dempshey. But zhe instructions seem pretty clear. I vonder if following zhem opens a way out or communication vith zhe real world?” As he spoke, the doctor was harvesting the green stones from the walls and even took the red stone that had been on fire as well.   
Dempsey put the plaque in his own pocket, and laid some cobbles to get them out of the hole. “I don’t know about you doc, but I could use some sun.”  
“Ja. Me too.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Up on the surface, the sun was just setting. The reddish light painted long, menacing shadows in the yard. Dempsey stood on the steps for a long moment while the Nazi hurried inside.   
Richtofen pawed through his trunks and even chipped up the gold blocks at the foot of his bed. He hurried back past the Marine with an armload of stuff.   
“Hey! Where are you going?”   
Richtofen just grinned at him and disappeared back into the long room under the house.   
“What are you doing man?”   
“Vhat I always do; experiment!”   
The agitated German quickly laid eight blocks of pure gold in a ring on the floor. He dropped a green-spattered cobble in the center, and then the red fire stone atop that. With a flourish he jammed four dim red-stone torches into a plus sign on the gold ring.   
Giggling excitedly he produced a hook of metal and a flint. He breathed the unfamiliar word; “Herobrine!” and cast a spark onto the stone that made it once more explode into flames.   
Dempsey folded his arms, “well?”   
Richtofen held his breath, his ears straining as he listened for any unusual noises or effects. After a moment, a small, disappointed frown crept onto his thin lips.   
Tank sighed. “Nothing. Sorry doc. Well, you did find this buried pretty deep. Maybe this Herobrine guy is long-since dead.”  
Edward’s face fell a little. “Perhaps you’re right Dempshey. But I still think I’ll leave it burning for a while, just to keep zhis space well-lit.”  
The Marine gave his companion a friendly swat on the shoulder and steered him back up the steps. “It’s late. Let’s get some chow and clean up.”  
Once upstairs, Tank fished the plaque out of his pocket and stood it up on the top of a bookshelf. Something on the wall caught his eye. Richtofen had nailed a map to the wall beside his bed, and it clearly showed a grey, off-centered circle where the walls of the castle and tower could be seen from the air. In the center were two markers, one of which was turning back and forth as Richtofen bustled around in the bathroom.   
But what had actually drawn his eye was the unexpected appearance of a second pair of markers on the other end of the map.   
“Richtofen! Get down here!”  
The older man emerged with only a red woolen towel around his waist. “Vhat do you vant? I was going to take ein shower.”  
He stabbed the paper with a single chunky digit. “See for yourself. There’s someone else here.”  
The Nazi regarded the map for a moment as the words sunk in. “Could it be?”   
Dempsey said it first, “maybe it’s Nikki and Tak!”   
Richtofen bit his lip. “If it is, I hope zhey can survive vone night vithout help. It’s dangerous to make that far of a journey in the dark. Vhe should sleep, and set out at dawn with the proper supplies.”  
Tank set his mouth in a hard line. “I hate it, but I’ll admit you’re right. It’s never good to rush out half-cocked.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

In the room below the sleeping pair, the chunk of netherrack that Richtofen had lit still burned merrily. The painted figures that adorned the walls were the only witnesses to a sudden deepening of the surrounding shadows.   
A twist of damp fog made its way down the stone steps and coiled around the golden base of the low pyramid. The fire darkened and sputtered, sending a plume of choking black smoke that mingled with the fog.   
The air was still and thick; and the world seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of some looming tragedy.   
Empty white eyes opened amidst the choking miasma.   
And then there was only the sound of soft footfalls, descending deeper into the mine. 

* * * * * * * * * * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * * * * * * * * * *

Sunrise found both men bustling about and gathering supplies for their probable rescue mission. Dempsey struggled into the iron-clad trousers and shirt he’d been given while Edward portioned out food on the kitchen table.   
The doctor sorted the items into two piles and carried them both down to the bedroom where Tank was pulling on his boots.   
Richtofen opened the trunk next to his bed with a squeak of hinges and slipped his diamond shirt over his uniform with practiced ease. He passed Tank a sword and another quiver of arrows before pausing in front of the trunk.   
“Dempshey? Come here for a moment.”  
“What is it Doc?”  
The German drew forth from the trunk a flat box that glittered blue, he turned and offered it to Dempsey. The Marine took it uncomprehendingly. “That’s pretty Doc; did you make a bowl out of diamonds?”  
Richtofen waited a moment to see if Tank was joking, but the other man just stared back at him. He shook his head; “You’re still a dummkopf Dempshey.”   
Edward took the box from Dempsey’s unresisting fingers and placed it on the blondes head.   
“Oh, it’s a helmet, I get it. Thanks Doc, I keep forgetting how square I am now.” He chuckled and the sound was musical to Edward’s ears. Richtofen could feel himself blushing slightly and cleared his throat. Hoping Tank wouldn’t notice his sudden unease.   
“So do we have everything we need Doc?”  
Richtofen patted his pockets, “I hope so Dempshey. Zhis is going to be a long valk, we’ll probably be gone for three days at least.” He gently pulled the map off the wall and stared at it. “Whoever they are, they haven’t moved far from yesterday night.”  
“Well, let’s hope they aren’t already dead.”   
The doctor tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Zhis place is full of zombies at night and they don’t show up on the map. I would guess that only living people merit a marker.” He put the map in his pocket and straightened the shimmering armor over his old uniform.   
“I’m ready when you are.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

It was only when he set foot outside the castle walls that Dempsey realized how apprehensive he was feeling. After finally finding a place of relative safety and comfort away from the horrors of the past years, it was hard to walk away.   
Richtofen noticed his wistful expression and poked him gently. “We’ll be back and it vill still be standing. The creatures here are only interested in killing humans. They do not break things on their own.   
Tank cleared his throat; he didn’t want to show the Nazi any weakness if he could help it. Despite his apparent newfound sanity and relative kindness; he still didn’t entirely trust the German.   
“The only ones that worry me are das ende mann,” Richtofen continued. His thin lips pursed in a faint line. “They’re so fast, like the Nova 6’s. And they steal things if they can get inside your house. Never look at them directly Dempshey. It’s nothing you vant to pick a fight with. They’re vaguely humanoid, tall, thin und flat black in color.”  
Tank remembered the menacing figure he had spotted his first night in this world and suppressed a shudder.   
The German ticked off the various hazards on his fingers. “You’ve seen the zombies already; they’re much easier to kill zhen the ones Samantha controls. The giant spiders and schlingpflanze you also know.”  
“Wait, doc. I meant to ask you before; what does that mean anyway? Schling pff-?”  
“Oh it’s German for ‘creeper’ Dempshey.” He shrugged. “I had to call them something. There are also skeletons; and they’re a real pain because they shoot arrows at you.”  
Tank looked at the bow Richtofen had given him. “Is that where you got this?”   
The doctor glanced at him, a small smile on his lips. “That’s vhere I got MINE. I made yours myself.”   
The pair walked in silence for a while after that, their respective thoughts only interrupted by the natural sounds of the world around them. They stopped briefly to remove a cube of dirt so that a cow that had fallen in a small hole could escape, and then again to gather some pumpkins from a dry creek-bed. The grasslands gave way to a spit of desert and then greened again as the pair entered a patch of swampy ground.   
At the edge of the shallow water Richtofen knelt and took a handful to drink.   
“Are you sure that’s safe?”  
The German wiped his face with a gloved hand. “Ja, I am sure. Zhis place is so clean und unspoiled. The animals aren’t afraid of people because they have no reason to be, there is no pollution here. I’ve seen no other humans except zhe zombies before you came.”  
Tank rumbled good-naturedly. “You’ve found a real paradise doc, too bad about the monsters though.”  
“Pff, nothing in life is perfect Dempshey.” Edward looked up, and there was just the fainted blush of pink in the sky. “It’s going to be dark soon. We should make a shelter und get some rest. Use the cobblestones I gave you earlier und follow my lead.”  
Without waiting for an answer, the doctor laid a rough square of stones on the ground and placed two beds side by side in the center. Tank followed his example and within moments they had constructed a box of stone around the beds. Once inside, Edward picked out the dirt on the floor and replaced it with stone as well. Dempsey was just placing the torches on the walls as the sun touched the horizon. When the only remaining hole was in the roof, Richtofen filled it with a block of iron bars.   
“No door?”  
“Vhe have tools, we can pick our way out in the morning. The monsters can break down wooden doors and we don’t have time to install anything more complex. It’s just for vone night.”  
Tank lay down on the bed, “makes me feel like I’m in a tomb.”  
Edward chuckled, “I’d rather be asleep in a tomb, zhen dead in one.” He lay down in the bed beside the American and stretched out flat.   
The last vestiges of daylight faded away, and the pair could see stars through the bars in the ceiling above. In the distance a zombie rose and groaned, and the gurgling hiss of a spider was carried on the night air.   
Dempsey spoke in a hushed whisper. “You’re sure they can’t get in?”  
“Ja.”   
Outside a skeleton clattered past, and Richtofen shut his eyes tightly. He’d built his grand castle so he wouldn’t have to sleep so close to death anymore. He would never admit it, but being out here again made him nervous.   
The last thing he remembered before falling into an uneasy sleep was Dempsey’s hand settling over his own, his callused fingers curling sleepily around the doctor’s leather-clad palm. 

* * * * * * * * * * *

When Tank woke up, Richtofen had already cut a door in the wall with a pickaxe and was surveying the expanse of shallow water.   
Tank smacked up both beds and put the shrunken objects into his already bulging pockets. He sauntered out into the sunlight to stand beside his ally, “looks like we’re gonna have to get our feet wet doc.”  
“Ja. I’d sat we should build two boats, but I don’t think it would help in all these shallow, unconnected ponds.” He pulled out the map to check the markers. The other markers had moved somewhat down the coast but they were no closer to meeting up with their counterparts. “Are you ready to go Dempshey?”  
“Yeah, I got the beds; I’m assuming we leave the rest here?”   
“You are correct.” He thought for a moment and then grinned. “Vould you like to see something funny Dempshey?”   
The Marine eyed the older man suspiciously. “Maybe. What is it?”   
Richtofen just smiled and walked to the edge of the water. Several broad lily pads were laid over the surface. With a little swing of his arms he jumped forward and landed on one.   
To Tank’s surprise, the thin leaf stayed in place, supporting Richtofen as though he were standing on flat ground. He watched in amazement as the German skipped nimbly from one lily pad to another until he’d reached the other side.   
“Vell? Are you coming?”   
It wasn’t long before Dempsey just couldn’t suppress the smile that was forming on his face as he gave chase across the field of lily pads. 

* * * * * * * * * * *

By noon the pair had emerged from the swamp and were carefully climbing a small cliff. Richtofen forged ahead, methodically making a staircase of dirt-blocks up the sheer face. As they neared the top, the green grass gave way to snow-blocks, looking for all the world like iced spice cakes.   
Towering pines shaded the snowy ground and Tank kicked the thin crust of snow as he walked. Edward eyed him over his shoulder. “Good sing you don’t have a shovel Dempshey. You can make snowballs from that layer.”   
The Marine said nothing, but made a mental note to follow up on Richtofen’s information later.  
At sunset they made a crude staircase up the side of a rock face and then knocked it away once they reached a ledge. Working in unison they delved a hole in the stone deep enough to place the two beds and then covered the opening apart from a single barred window.   
Richtofen perched on the edge of the bed nibbling on a bread loaf. He dunked it into a bowl of mushroom soup.   
Dempsey chewed on a piece of cooked beef and stared off into space. He didn’t realize he’d drifted off until the doctor nudged him.   
“I said, vould you like a piece of melon Dempshey?”   
“Uh, sure. Thanks, Doc.” Even his pensive mood couldn’t ruin the good taste of the watermelon the Nazi had handed him.   
Richtofen yawned as he levered himself gently down on the bed. “Don’t forget to save the seeds.” And then, “something wrong Dempshey? I know you still don’t like me much, but I am villing to listen.”  
Sharing feelings didn’t come naturally to Tank and he waited a long time before replying. “Ugh. I don’t know Doc. I just feel like I’m screwing off when I should be working or something.”   
“Zhis is about zhe other zombies, isn’t it? Samantha’s zombies.”   
“Yeah, it is. That was my whole life, you know? I don’t remember anything else before that.”   
Richtofen felt a tiny twinge of guilt knowing that Tank’s amnesia was his fault, and realized that that was something that wouldn’t have given him the slightest pause in his former mental state. “It’s survivor’s guilt,” he said softly. “It’s normal. You feel bad because you are alive when so many are dead or undead. But in the end, vhat we were doing didn’t matter all that much. I could have kept pushing, even controlled the zombies like Samantha. But for vhat Dempshey? So I could rule over you, Takeo, Nikolai and the dead vorld vhe used to call home?” He paused to still the quaver that was creeping into his voice. “Ve vere there to die. Nothing more, nothing less.”  
“But we could have done something!”  
“No Dempshey. There was nothing you or anyone else could do to fix everysing that has been broken. The vorld ve knew is lost, destroyed, both in the past and in the future.”  
“Dammit Richtofen!”  
“No Tank.”   
Dempsey had never heard Richtofen refer to him by his first name, and the sheer oddness of it silenced him.   
The German sat up slightly and rolled to face his ally. “I’ve had enough of being damned. And while I may revel in the taste and smell of fresh blood, I’ve seen enough death to last me a million lifetimes. There is nothing shameful or wrong about vanting to be alive. Zhis vorld may not be safe or perfect, but at least the zombies belong here. The monsters do not ruin this vorld, they are part of it. This is our second chance.”  
“But I’m a soldier, fighting is what I do! I need to get back. They all need to be killed. Who else is going to do it if I don’t?!”  
“Fighting should be done to further a cause, and a good tactician knows when a cause is lost. Wars end Dempshey, and they don’t always end with your side as the winner.” Edward stared off into the darkness. “Trust me; I know zhat feeling better then anyone.”  
“You’ve become addicted to zhe rush of adrenaline that comes from constantly fighting for your life. I felt it too when I first arrived here. But it will pass. And you’ll feel better once it does.” The Doctor patted Tank’s hand in a consoling manner. “You had a life before this var and you’ll have a life beyond it as well. You always gave it your all, even when things seemed utterly hopeless. Now you have to learn to forgive yourself.”  
Dempsey opened his mouth and then shut it again. In his heart he knew the damn Nazi was right. It would take him a million lifetimes to destroy every zombie on Earth. Finally he grumbled, “I’ll think about it.”   
“Ausgezeichnet, now go to sleep.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *


	4. Chapter 4

* * * * * * * * * * *

At dawn they found that their objective had moved closer to them. The markers weren’t moving far but they were milling about and occasionally turning. Richtofen stabbed the map with his finger.   
“According to zhis, they should be just over the next rise.”   
Tank didn’t know what he expected to see when they crested the hill, but the tiny wooden house still caught him off guard.   
A small area had been tilled and there were already healthy plants sprouting. And the outside of the house was studded with torches to keep the monsters away.   
“Is anyone home?” Tank called apprehensively.   
The door opened with a squeak and a head wrapped in a scarf poked out.   
“Nikolai!” Richtofen squealed, breaking into a brief awkward run.   
The Russian blinked in the bright sunlight and emerged from the house just in time to be tackled by the over-excited doctor.   
“Get off of me dammit!” Nikolai Belinski bellowed. And then as he was trying unsuccessfully to fend of Edward; Tank bear-hugged them both.   
“Man, am I glad to see you Nikolai!” Dempsey crowed. “Is Tak here as well?”  
A voice spilled out of the small house, seemingly from underground. “What is going on up there Nikki?”   
Takeo Masaki emerged from a hole that had been dug in the floor of the house and smiled widely as the sight of his Allies.   
“Heeey! Tak!” Tank hooted, “The gang’s all here! So what do you guys think of this crazy place?”  
Takeo shrugged, “it reminds me of home, I grew up in a rural area.”   
“Nikolai has potatoes, soon have vodka too. What more could a man ask for eh?”   
His Japanese cohort just rolled his eyes. He found the Russian’s total lack of decorum irritating at best.   
“Vait? You have potatoes? Vhere did you find them? I’ve been here for months and not seen any.”  
“Oh, that’s easy,” the Russian replied; “Nikolai always carries a few potato eyes for emergencies.”  
Dempsey laughed heartily, “Is that why your clothes always smell so damn bad?” Nikolai gave him a sour look and Tank waved his hands in a placating manner. “I’m sorry man, I’m just teasing. I really am glad to see you. It’s been just me and the Doc here for days.”   
The Russians thick eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “You were alone with Richtofen? And you two managed not to kill one another? Are you sure you’re feeling all right comrade?”   
“Eh, well…” Tank stammered. “The time is weird here, he’s been here a lot longer then he was missing from our group, and…”  
“I’m feeling much better now Nikolai.” The Doctor interrupted pleasantly. “Starting over and having some time alone vas just vhat I needed to clear my head.”  
Takeo smiled softly, “are the voices gone hakase?”   
The doctor blushed slightly at Takeo’s overly polite phrasing. “Yes, Takeo, zhey are gone.”   
The Japanese man smiled even wider and laid a friendly hand on the doctor’s shoulder. “The lessons of nature can only be learned in silent reflection. Even a strange wild land can heal a broken soul.”   
Tank chuckled mildly, “haha Tak, that’s the most words I’ve heard out of you in months.”  
“I feel better too, my American friend. This is not Japan, but there is clean air to breathe deeply. There are graceful mountains, trickling streams, green grass, clear water, rain and moonlight. The land is fertile and the beasts plentiful. This is more then enough.”   
“Ah-ha, and soon there will be vodka and everything will be perfect da?”   
Takeo rolled his eyes, “you ruined it again Nikki.”   
“Takeo,” Richtofen ventured. “Did you have anything on you when you arrived here? Any food or veapons?”   
“Yes doctor,” he pulled his katana from a sling behind his back to reveal that it also had become a collection of small colored cubes in the rough shape of a sword. “I also had some seeds; I planted them outside next to Nikoli’s potatoes. I think they are carrots.”  
“Wunderbar. I luff carrots.”  
Tank perked up, “so uh, you guys want to come back with us? Richtofen built a pretty sweet castle before any of us got here. As far as we know there isn’t anyone else here and it might be safer to stick together.”  
Takeo nodded, “that sounds good to me, except for one thing.”  
The Russian interrupted him, “Nikolai will not leave without the potatoes.”  
“Yes, I would prefer not to leave my carrots either. Things grow quickly here, but I think they need one more day.”  
“Hey,” Tank said, “what about that ground-up bone-stuff you gave me the other day doc? That makes things grow like crazy right?”   
“Ja, it does. But I don’t have any right now. Vhe’d have to kill some skeletons to get more. Do you feel like staying up all night to fight monsters Dempshey?”   
“Yeah, why the fuck not? There’s four of us.” Tank puffed up a bit. “We’ve survived worse.”  
Takeo withdrew his sword, “it would be an honor to fight alongside such Allies again.”  
“Even if we have to pelt them with broken vodka bottles!”

* * * * * * * * * * *

The rest of the afternoon went quickly, the four men digging furiously under the small house. Takeo and Nikolai had already used the paltry amount of iron ore they’d found to make tools. Before long they found themselves simply following after Richtofen as he burrowed at top speed with his blue diamond pickaxe. By nightfall everyone was kitted out in iron armor apart from Dempsey’s diamond helm and Edward’s diamond shirt.   
Tank twiddled an iron sword while watching the sun set from the low roof of the house.   
“See anything yet comrade?”  
“Not yet.”   
“Gentlemen, I suggest vhe go looking instead of waiting for them to come to us. It lessens the chances of the garden being blown up by zhe ‘creepers’. Besides, vhe can hide from these zombies.”  
Dempsey jumped down from the low roof with a soft thump. “I agree with that, sitting around just makes me feel useless anyway.”   
Richtofen just smiled as he surveyed his Allies, he’d ever really thought of them as a team before; just him and three not-quite-dead-yet minions. But now, seeing them assembled and ready for his orders made his chest swell with pride.   
“Just remember everyone; we’re only looking for skeletons. Try to avoid confronting anything else. Make sure you get as close as possible before attacking and take them out quickly. Stick vith you partner, and watch their back. And eat some of your provisions if you get hurt. It vill help you heal faster. If we get separated; everyone meet back here at dawn.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

The killing of the skeletons went off like a well-planned mugging; the Allies crept silently in a tight group; hiding behind bushes and trees. And then, as one; they pounced on lone skeletons to beat them into dust with their swords. Compared to the nightmare of running from an infinite number of zombies; creeping through the forest seemed almost too easy.   
Richtofen felt his heart swell strangely; and he caught himself staring idly at Dempsey. The marine turned slightly, his pale eyes shining under the light of a fully square moon. “You missed this, didn’t you?” He whispered. Nikolai and Takeo exchanged puzzled glances, but the comment was so tender and unexpected that neither dared to interject.   
The German’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I was a little lonely.” He tossed his head, needing to preserve a shred of pride. “I may have missed you all, just a little bit.”   
“We make a good team,” Nikolai rumbled softly. Takeo gave a small snort, his way of agreeing while still showing as little outward emotion as possible.   
Tank’s smile faded as he heard a sharp rustling in the grass. “There’s something out there guys…” He crouched low and brandished his sword.   
The sound came again, this time closer. Edward leaped as something quickly brushed past his legs.   
The small creature slammed headfirst into Nikolai, almost knocking him down. It skittered away into the dark and then as he rose, did it again. The second time the Russian elected to stay on the ground and only panicked when he felt a sudden weight on his chest.   
“Meow.”  
Tank’s lip curled, “is that a fucking cat?”   
Richtofen peered at the spotty animal and replied coolly. “Actually it’s an ocelot. I’ve seen zhem occasionally but this is the closest I’ve ever been too one. Zhere really fast.”  
“Well why is it sitting on Nikki?” Tank replied, exasperation plain in his voice.   
“Because he smells like fish?” Takeo chuckled.   
“Ah, fuck you Takeo. You are just mad because I don’t share with you.” He turned his attention to the purring animal on his chest. “Hello kitty. Would you like some fish?” Nikolai rumbled.  
Tank rubbed his temples, “Wait, are you actually carrying fish in your pockets?”  
In lieu of an answer, Nikolai pulled several pixilated fish from his pouches and gave them to the ocelot. As it ate, its colors seemed to blend and run until it looked like nothing more then a tabby house cat. He petted it and it began to purr.   
“Great, now it will never leave you alone.” Takeo swore, “I hate cats.”  
Richtofen’s face twisted momentarily into something dangerous, “we know. Takeo. No one cares.”  
Tank’s look was equally sour. “Yeah, man. Shut up. Better cats then hell dogs.”   
Suddenly the air was filled with an increasingly loud hiss, there was just enough time for Takeo to turn as the creeper advanced on him. Nikolai swore as the cat launched itself off of his chest and bounded towards the flashing green monster. It passed Takeo and stood between him and the creeper, hissing and spitting ferociously. And to the shock of all present, the sour-faced monster back-pedaled quickly. It tried moving to the side to get closer to its human targets, but the cat remained stubbornly between it and them, yowling unpleasantly.   
After a few moments of maneuvering; it actually gave up, retreating into the brush. As the hissing faded away, the cat coyly sashayed Takeo’s ankles on its way back over to Nikolai.   
Richtofen’s smile was smug and took up most of his face. “Still hate cats, Takeo?”  
And even simplified, the look he received in return could have curdled ice cream.   
Tank rustled around in his pockets in an effort to break the tension. “I’ve got at least a dozen bones here, is that enough?” There was a consensus as inventories were checked and compared and the final tally was enough to satisfy the would-be adventurers.   
The rising sun found them returning elated to the small house. Nikolai strutting proudly with his new cat perched on his shoulder. Takeo just rolled his eyes. He rubbed the little beast between its ears. “I think I will call her Sasha.”   
Richtofen looked back at him. “How do you know it’s female?”   
“I don’t, but it is a good name.”   
Dempsey shrugged; whatever made the grumpy Russian happy was okay with him. He noticed that the man had hardly touched his vodka bottle since the cat arrived. Richtofen broke into an excited trot as they reached the edge of the garden, his diamond shirt glittering in the sun. Hard-won bones were enthusiastically hammered on the crafting table and the resulting powder sprinkled on the crops.   
Takeo found himself smiling faintly as he ripped full carrots from the ground. There was nothing wrong with the house he and Nikolai had built, but the promise of a safer nights sleep spurred him on.   
Richtofen looked up and gestured for attention. “It’s already almost noon gentlemen. If vhe are going to leave today, vhe should do so now. Take everything you can carry and assume vhe vill not be coming back for some time, if ever.”   
There was no need for a chorus of agreement. Even when the four had hated each other, they still knew how to work effectively as a team. Within the space of an hour the house had been stripped and even the wooden roof dismantled and divided between them for travel. 

* * * * * * * * * * *


	5. Chapter 5

* * * * * * * * * * *

A light rain began to fall as Richtofen sorted his inventory to make the most of the space. He swelled with pride as the rest of the team climbed up onto the low hill and stood beside him. He looked at the map and started to walk, and the others followed like a comet’s tail behind him.   
“It was a good house,” Takeo said quietly.   
“It’s okay” Nikolai replied, “we will make an even better one next time. Even bigger...”  
The Japanese man smiled faintly.   
“So Nikolai cannot hear your snoring.”  
Takeo let out a low growl and Tank put a blocky hand on his shoulder. “Ease up man, you guys won’t have to worry about hearing each other period when you see what the Doc has cooked up. He built a whole castle by himself.”  
Takeo looked thoughtful and Nikolai surprised, “how is that possible?”   
Tank shrugged, picking his way around a bush. “Some kinda time dilatation thing. We only missed him for a few hours, but he’s been here for months. I’ve only been here about a week, though it’s hard to tell. What about you guys?”   
They looked at one another and Nikolai made a vague gesture at Takeo. “One moment I lay dying, thinking about my ancestors, and the next I was under a tree with a cow very close to my face. It wasn’t long before the smell of cooking meat attracted the Russian.”  
Nikolai chuckled, petting Sasha, “first things first in a new environment.” He ticked points off on his fingers, “Food, water, shelter. Vodka. Nikolai is expert at survival.”   
“Pftt!” Takeo huffed. “You would have died the first night if not for me.”  
Nikolai jabbed him with a square finger, ‘only because you came in with a sword! Nikolai had nothing!” He thumped his chest and Sasha meeped as she clawed into his coat to keep from falling. The Russian produced a pixilated sickle from his backpack. “I had to find iron, and build a weapon myself!”   
The Japanese man was turning a little red now, and Tank got in between them. “Hey settle down. We’re all okay and that’s what’s really important, right Doc?”   
The question startled Richtofen from his daydreaming, “oh, ja. Certainly.”   
“Hey Doc, you seem distracted. What’s on that big brain of yours?”   
“Mmm, I vas wondering. Do you think vhe should go back a different vay?”  
“Why would we do that, it was a long-ass walk as it was.”   
The doctor stopped walking and turned to face the group, he brandished the map. “I can see my house and our position easily on this so vhe shouldn’t get lost, and each of us have a little room left to carry supplies. Perhaps vhe should look for more seeds and raw materials to bring back.” He lowered the paper. “I’ll admit I don’t like exploring vhen zhere are so many monsters about, but with four of us I feel…” He paused meaningfully. “Vell… a bit more confident that vhe won’t die.”   
Tank smiled broadly, and he heard Nikolai’s faint whisper. “He really has changed, hasn’t he?”   
“Yep.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

The sun was setting as the four reached the edge of a swamp. And the consensus was to keep walking through the night rather then try to build on ground riddled with tiny caves and sinkholes. Takeo kicked up mushrooms and Sasha fell asleep on top of Nikolai’s backpack. Tank made it his personal duty to cut down trees and left many a clump of leaves hanging in midair slowly fading away. Richtofen picked up a fallen apple and polished it on his jacket. It was everything he could do to not whistle happily.   
The occasionally Enderman sent them all scrambling for cover, but they passed into dawn with only a few scrapes and bruises for their troubles.   
Tank trotted up next to Richtofen and easily matched his mincing stride. “Admit it,” he said quietly, “you missed this. We only just found them and they fall into step expecting you to lead them again like nothing ever happened.”  
Richtofen gave the man a sideways glace, “do you think you should be the one to lead instead?”   
Dempsey put his hands behind his head and stretched leisurely. “Fuck no,” he snorted. “I think I like the new you quite a bit. Couple of years, I might actually trust you.” He grinned disarmingly and Richtofen felt his cheeks getting slightly pink. The doctor coughed and scanned the horizon for anything he could use to change the subject.   
Thankfully the environment was happy to provide. A group of bushes with bulging seed pods clustered around a shallow pond. He reached out a hand to pluck one and was suddenly drenched as Tank barreled past him and leaped into the water.   
He brushed blue pixels off his clothes, “vhat zhe fich are you doing?”   
“Ha ha!” The marine crowed, his clothes were soaked, but he had a fish in each hand. “Getting lunch!” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

On the third day out they found themselves at the foot of a gigantic mountain, capped with majestic pines and block upon block of snowy earth. Richtofen turned the map this way and that, “I guess vhe could just cut through.”   
Tank goggled, “are you serious Doc?!”   
The Doctor shrugged, “it’s easier zhen climbing.” He gestured to Tank’s bulging pockets, “vhe have wood, and stone is abundant. We’ll just take turns using up stone pickaxes and make a straight tunnel two blocks high all the way through. Are zhere any objections?”   
“Nikolai does not care.”  
Takeo piped up, “I have torches, and no objections.”   
“Fine.” Tank picked a spot and began chipping away at top speed. The others followed single file into the darkness as he burrowed. As the picks shattered each man would come forward with a new one and take a turn as the last set up the crafting table to make more.   
Suddenly the shaft opened up into a tunnel. It stretched away into darkness at either end and the walls were buffered every few yards with wooden support beams. The men stood in the flickering light and listened for the sound of monsters; but the only noise was the faint squeaking of bats.   
Takeo drew his sword, “I think I see something. You wait here.” He said sternly. The Oriental stalked into the shadows with only the faintest sound of footsteps. His voice floated out of the dark as he faded from sight. “I found a box.” There was a squeaking noise loud enough to make the men wince as Takeo opened it. He filled his pockets and quickly ran back, stuffing the chest hastily into his inventory.  
He drew out a pickaxe and attacked the opposite wall. His fright was evident as Richtofen tried to get close enough to talk to him. But the man pushed past him and sealed up the wall the way they had come with three layers of stone before resuming his frantic axing.   
“Hey,” Tank said gently. “Tak, what did you see?”   
“Eyes.” He said coldly, “Empty and white, about the height of a person. And I felt…” he struggled for words. “Menace, cruelty… the kind of evil that delights in inflicting random pain.” He gritted his teeth, “I do not want to talk about it Dempsey. I just want to get back out of this tomb and into the sun again.”   
“Okay man, that’s fair.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

It seemed like an eternity before they broke back out into the light. Whoever hadn’t been digging amused themselves picking up coal and iron from the surrounding rock, and in the end they had to leave much of the ordinary mined stone behind for lack of space to carry it. And once out they took a moment to set up furnaces and take a break while the iron was removed from the surrounding matrix of rock. Richtofen had found a single block of redstone and nervously juggled a small chunk of it while the fires roared. Nikolai stared at it, noticing that it lit up for a second each time it impacted with the Doctor’s hands.   
He nudged Dempsey, “Doctor is playing with something that looks like the 115, should I be concerned?”   
Dempsey took out a bit of bread and chewed thoughtfully. “Nah, it’s not the same thing. This stuff is electrical, but it doesn’t make you nuts or anything.” Blithely he noticed Takeo pretending not to listen. “You sprinkle it on the ground and it makes a kind of wire that has to be punched up to remove it.”   
Richtofen stopped throwing the glob of dust and joined the conversation. “Exactly right Dempshey, you can make torches with it to draw the wires up walls.” He turned the glowing drop in his hands, the red light making weird shadows on his face. “It’s a nicer version of zhe 115. All the power and none of the infection.” He looked back up and realized the others were all staring at him quietly. Lost in recollections of the hell they had seemingly escaped from.   
Richtofen suddenly felt very heavy. He let himself down onto a dirt block and just let the silence build. He looked up at the clear blue sky and heard Sasha purring faintly as she slept on Nikolai’s bag. Dempsey crossed the space between them and sat down next to him. With a gentle hand he pushed Edward back so he lay flat on the natural step with his feet hanging down. With a sigh Tank laid down as well. There was a soft shuffling as he heard rather then saw the others also settling in more comfortably.   
The afternoon was warm in even in the shadow of the mountain, and the furnace crackled merrily as it reduced the iron ore they’d found into ingots. Somewhere a cow mooed and there was a faint squeak of bats in the tunnel they’d emerged from.   
“It’s too much for you, isn’t it?” Tank asked quietly.   
“Vhat do you mean?”   
“It’s so quiet. I think I’d go mad if I was out here all alone for months with no one to talk too.”  
“Perhaps, it is true then?” Richtofen mused. “Vhat makes a normal man mad could make a madman sane?”   
Tank snorted, “then I guess it’s a good thing none of us are alone here now. This weird quiet world gave you exactly what you needed for just long enough to even out all your weird-ass wrinkles Doc.” He laid a hand over Edward’s and the older man felt himself blush slightly at the contact.   
“I’m glad you’re here Dempshey.” And then a little louder, “I’m glad we are all here.”   
Nikolai coughed meaningfully and Richtofen sat up a little to look him in the eye. He and Takeo were seated Indian-style, and Nikolai grinned despite his obvious discomfort with the position. “Who are you, and what did you do with crazy Doctor?” He said gruffly.   
Takeo looked skeptical, “enough silliness. The furnace is finished, and I want to be away from this mountain as soon as possible.” 

* * * * * * * * * * *

**Author's Note:**

> I'm presenting this with no promise that it will reach any kind of conclusion. [Just as Minecraft has no distinct end apart from completing side quests.] But like Minecraft, the journey is the enjoyable part. And what was supposed to be a drabble has grown into a 27 page monster with no end in sight. So I give it to my tiny fandom as it stands, and I'll add to it as I go along.


End file.
